


Carrots are Rad

by m_number24



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Alternate Universe - Office, Cafe meeting, Fluff, M/M, boss michael, jere and jenna are bffs, the office romcom no one asked for
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-07
Updated: 2018-01-07
Packaged: 2019-03-01 18:07:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13300380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/m_number24/pseuds/m_number24
Summary: The first time Jeremy ever talked to his boss, he found the man shoving a whole muffin into his mouth. Oh, then he choked.





	Carrots are Rad

**Author's Note:**

> hello its 2 am i'm shit. this is a fic vomit im sorry i hope u enjoy nonetheless. these two need more romcom moments so here we are. im sorry if it suqs

"Mell, that motherfucker!"   
  
Everyone turned their heads towards the blond man, slamming his hands on his desk, shoving his office supplies in a cardboard box. Jeremy winced as a string of curses continued out of the man's mouth.  
  
"How dare he fucking fire me??? Me??? I'm a rare fucking thing. Fuck him, this is going to be his fucking loss."  
  
Jeremy focused on his computer, testing out a bunch of codes for the current website they were working on. He also tried not to roll his eyes as Dustin Kropp, office asshole, continued complaining about getting fired. The lanky man was genuinely relieved he was going because one, no, he was not a rare fucking thing. He was a pain in the ass, ordering people around the whole time he sat and did nothing. And, two, it's definitely not a loss because surely, he's going to get replaced with someone better.  
  
After a few more seconds of typing, Jeremy clicked the last button to see the test outcome. Grinning to himself, he turned to Jenna, who was already nodding impressively at his screen.

"Not bad, Heere. Not bad at all." 

The pale adult felt himself giggle. He covered his mouth quickly at that, and bless Jenna for merely giggling back. When Jeremy was about to explain to the lady what he had done, Kropp's whining got louder and louder.  
  
It was all, "Fuck, Mell, this," and "Fuck, Mell, that," and it honestly looked as though Jenna was ready to snap at him. Kropp was in the middle of complaining about the 'non-existent' shit facilities of the company and the  'abusive' workload. Jeremy let himself roll his eyes this time.   
  
Mell Corporations was one of the best companies in the area, all in terms of sales, output, facilities, and people. Kropp was honestly the only asshole Jeremy knew.   
  
In the middle of the asshole's rant, Jenna started mimicking him, making weird faces. She repeated everything he said with a higher, more annoying pitch, and Jeremy snickered in return. Dustin had started complaining about the how the company was going to go bankrupt when all of a sudden, a loud, authoritative voice resounded through through the big room.   
  
A shiver ran through Jeremy's spine at the sound of it, quickly turning his head towards the door. He was sure he wasn't the only one.  
  
Standing by the doorframe was none other than Mr. Michael Mell, himself. The new president and son of the founder of Mell Corporations.

Jerrmy gulped.

"Mr. Kropp. I was informed you've been of disturbance to the other workers." 

His voice was low and his eyes were sharp. God, he looked pissed.

The whole room was quiet. 

Michael Mell never really went down to their floor. He was usually always in meetings or in business trips. Moreover, he was usually in his office, giving orders and what to do. He analyzed and handled the papers. There were rumors that he hated interactions, always just quiet or pissed whenever he was faced with inadequate workers. His father had raised him that way, Jeremy's co-workers would gossip. Though he wasn't an asshole, he was blunt and strict. He oozed out authority and apparently, most of the workers that he visited were terrified of him.  
  
Jeremy's office was one of the offices he didn't usually visit. He communicated to the tech team through email, and through their main representative, Jake Dillinger. 

But there he was. Suit a perfect fit, hair slicked back, back up straight. Staring at Kropp like he was garbage. 

With a whimper, Kropp apologized, stuttering. He basically dumped all his shit in the box before he ran out of the office.

The office was still quiet, all staring at Kropp, including Mell, until he was out of sight.

All of a sudden, Mr. Mell had turned his attention back to everyone in the room, tilting his head before letting out a tired sigh. His eyes were so, so dark but they were much softer than how they were a while ago. Jeremy felt himself gulp again.

"I apologize for that. Kropp will no longer work with us starting today," then with a firm nod, he told the workers that he will be on his way.

 

Then he was gone.  


Jeremy blinked, stunned at the encounter. 

 

He wasn't sure if he was terrified or star-struck because one, that was Michael Mell and he looked really cool; two, he looked like he could kill Kropp with looks; which leads Jeremy to three, it was Kropp he was trying to death glare the shit out of, probably adding to his cool points.   
  
He turned his head to find Jenna, wearing a smug grin at him. He furrowed his brows, confused, "What?"  


"You have a total boner for him, don't you?"  


"JENNA."  


* * *

  
  
Jeremy wasn't sure how he managed to be this unlucky but he was. On his way home, rain started to pour and being Jeremy, of course, he left his umbrella. Really, he should be ashamed. He's been commuting for years, how in the world does he still forget his umbrella?  
  
The man had ran his way to the nearest café, using his office bag as the only shield from the pour. Once he was inside, he let himself drown in the comforting smell of coffee and pastries. He ran a hand through his wet hair before taking off his coat. Kudos to him for wearing a coat, not a cardigan. He deserved a high five, really. He let his coat hang on one arm as he hung his bag strap on the other shoulder.  
  
Shaking his head, he let out a sudden sneeze to which he couldn't help but groan at. He pinched the bridge of his nose, and let out a sigh. He could just drink some meds when he gets home.  
  
He turned his head to find that the rain had gotten harder. He felt his frown deepen at that but it looks as though there wasn't anything for him to do but stay until it calms down.  
  
Walking his way to the cashier, he ordered himself a White Chocolate Mocha and a slice of blueberry cheesecake. He smiled a bit as he saw the cake, feeling himself get excited to taste it. It was a tiring day. He so deserved this.  
  
Once his order was complete, he picked up his tray and turned to scan the place and _wow_ , the place was packed. He pouted to himself as he looked for any vacant table but to no avail, he couldn't find any. Losing patience, he went for plan B which was to find a vacant seat and ask if he could sit with.  
  
There were three vacant seats, each one for three (3) two-chaired tables. A college girl sat on one of them and that had automatically got listed out of Jeremy's possible list. He did not want to look like a creeper.  
  
The second one had a sleeping kid on it and Jeremy didn't really want to disturb him or anything.

Which led him to the last table.  
  
It was the one in the corner of the store, just right beside the enormous glass window. Jeremy could only make out the back of the guy wearing a red hoodie and headphones. The lanky man nodded to himself at that, determined to get a seat.  
  
Once he reached the table, he let himself look at the floor. He had trouble with eye contact so he had to muster up a bit of courage before he could look up.  
  
Stuttering a bit, Jeremy let out a soft greeting and went ahead to ask, "H-Hey, may I take this seat? I-I mean the place is packed."  


Jeremy looked up this time, "U-Unless you're waiting for someone of-'"  


Jeremy froze.  


He blinked a few to check if he was seeing things right.  
  
  
He was.  
  
  
In front of him was Michael Mell, in the middle of shoving a whole muffin into his mouth. His eyes were wide in shock at Jeremy's sudden appearance. Slowly though, he pushed the muffin further in and munched on it whole. Jeremy would tell him it was impressive if only, well, he weren't his _fucking boss_.  
  
Mr. Mell, from looking shocked, just looked like he was confused now. His mouth was full and he looked like a chipmunk, Jeremy wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or cry. Maybe, actually, he could run. It doesn't seem as though Mr. Mell knew him, anyway.  
  
But it was too late.  
  
He already took his headphones off, tilting his head as an indication that he probably did not hear what Jeremy said.  
  
Seriously. Jeremy could have just went away. Said sorry. Or just sat with the sleeping kid. But, no. He just had to say, "Mr. Mell." 

  
  
Which was a big mistake because Mr. Mell? Mr. Mell suddenly started choking at that.   


Jeremy laid his stray on the table quickly, making his way towards the other guy. 

 

He started smacking his back in panic, asking Mell to just spit out the goddamn muffin. Michael Mell for some odd reason, shook his head at that and started chewing.  
  
Jeremy wanted to scream AND laugh.  
  
In less than two minutes, everything was quiet again but the two were panting. Jeremy was about to get his tray and run because his BOSS just CHOKED and it was HIS fault.  
  
He was never going to show his face to Mr. Mell again. He probably hated him. Oh god, he's probably going to want to fire him like he did to Dustin Kropp. Jeremy was going to be unemployed, fucking up his career with the coolest company in the area—  
  
"Y-You can sit. Th-That's what you were asking, right? Unless I assumed wrong. I didn't hear you well."

  
  
Jeremy paused at that.

  
He faced Michael, letting out a cracked, "What?"  


"You can sit."   


Mr. Mell had said that in such a soft tone, Jeremy felt his chest tighten.  


Hesitant, Jeremy sat down on the chair in front of his boss, letting out an awkward cough.   
  
  
"Th-Thank you."   
  
  
The tanned man nodded.  
  
  
This was awkward. Really awkward. But Jeremy was partly thankful he had a seat. Now, he could focus on his coffee and his cheesecake.   
  
There was a few minutes of silence before Mell started talking again.  


"I'm assuming you work under Mell Corporations?"  


Jeremy nodded.  


"Oh, what field?"

  
Was this an interview? Oh my god, what was happening?  


"I-I work under the tech and web design. I-I'm Jeremy Heere, sir."   


All of a sudden, Mell's eyes widened and his shoulders raised. His face brightened at that and Jeremy tried not to squirm.  


"You're Heere??? Dude, your designs are awesome," he did some weird hand gestures, "They're, like, the best ones I've seen, man. Along with Rolan. Even Jake says so!"  


And that?   


Jeremy felt as though he needed to pinch himself at that because that wasn't Mr. Mell. 

  
What the absolute fuck? 

  
Mell looked shocked with himself as well. He let out an embarrassed cough, all excitement draining out of his shoulders. Jeremy watched as his posture slowly shifted back to the prim and proper one he had a while ago.  


"S-Sorry about that. I got excited."  
  
  
Jeremy shook his head slowly, still shocked.   


In a few, the other man's face was red and he looked as though he was trying to compose himself, "I would appreciate it if you don't speak of this to the higher-ups especially Ms. Valentine. I may have taken an unannounced break, you see."  
  
Jeremy nodded again as he absorbed the man's appearance in front of him. Mell looked tired but other than that, he didn't look as terrifying as he did when he fired Kropp. He was wearing a hoodie and his hair was messed up, he honestly looked like a college student who had just pulled an all-nighter.  
  
That's when Jeremy realized just how young he was. Probably just about his age and he's running a whole company. Christ.  
  
In a blink, he suddenly didn't look scary at all.  
  
Mell stood up and suddenly pulled his hood on. Jeremy noticed that he was still wearing his slacks and his leather shoes, making the hoodie look off on him.  


"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Heere."  


That sounded so wrong to Jeremy's ears now after hearing his outburst a while ago. It was low and the formal tone was back. It sounded robotic.  
  
Jeremy took the hand and after a light squeeze, the man had went on his way.  
  


* * *

 

"A whole muffin?"  


"Wh-Why are you so stuck on the muffin?"

  
"Because can you imagine Mell shoving a muffin in his mouth?"

  
"I don't have to, I lived it."  


Jenna started cackling on the other line, repeating "a whole muffin" over and over in disbelief. Jeremy couldn't help but laugh along though because now that he re-lived the whole moment, it was a ridiculous sight.  
  
Once the two were breathless, Jeremy shook his head, trying to compose himself, "H-Hey but no, you can't tell anyone, okay? I feel like he has an image to uphold, y'know?"  
  
A hum was the response, "Of course, of course. I would love to keep both our jobs, Heere, you don't have to worry."  
  
Jeremy sighed in relief at that.  


"But tell me again about how our work's the best one he's seen!"

 

If Jeremy weren't on the phone, he was sure Jenna was wiggling her brows at him, a smug grin stuck on his face.  
  
Hearing Mr. Mell's voice ring in his head made his chest flutter a bit. The president of the company said his work was one of the best. Dang. Jeremy let a smile take over his face, telling Jenna once more the exact words of Michael Mell, himself.

* * *

  
  
Jeremy had stepped into the elevator that morning, eyes still tired. He couldn't sleep last night and ended up watching a bunch of YouTube videos, cut him some slack.   
  
He clicked on his floor and bopped a bit to the music as the door finally closed. The elevator dinged on the third floor, and Jeremy moved a bit back for people to get in. He was expecting a swarm of workers to go in. Not a panicked-looking Mr. Mell.  
  
With wide eyes, Mell entered the elevator, hurriedly clicking on the close button. His hair was a mess and he had what seems to be a coffee stain on his dress shirt. Jeremy wasn't sure but he looked like he was about to cry as he faced the lanky man.  
  
  
"Heere? Jeremy, right?"  


Jeremy nodded, still stunned.  


"Dude, I'm dead. I'm going to need your help."   
  
  
That's how Jeremy ended up running with none other than Michael Mell to the nearest clothes store.   
  
There was a small tailor a few blocks away from the building. It was small but the signage looked fancy and Jeremy was sure the suits on display were more expensive than all his organs, combined.  
  
Mell entered quickly, pulling Jeremy with him. 

  
"Brooke!!! Dude, you have to help me out. Chloe's going to kill me." 

Then there it was again. His way of speaking was all sorts of different, Jeremy couldn't help but stare. The man people were afraid of, the man that scared Kropp away with one line and a glare, was now using "dude" and telling this Brooke person he was going to get killed. What bothered Jeremy the most was how it sounded better and more natural than how he talked at work.  
  
Through the wooden doorframe, a pretty blonde lady appeared, giggling at Mell as she took in his appearance.

"Ooooh, she's definitely going to kill you." 

Mell whimpered. Mell, honest-to-all-the-gods, just whimpered.  
  
Quickly, he unbuttoned his dress shirt, pulling it off him in a rush. Jeremy mentally hit himself for staring the whole time.   
  
Like it was expected, the lady went back in the back room, and went out with a new, clean dress shirt. It was the same color as the one Mell was wearing. Actually, it may actually be the same one.   
  
Jeremy stood at the side, starting to feel awkward. He wasn't sure why he got tagged along, really. It looked as though he didn't have to do anything.   
  
He was looking around the place, trying to find something he could focus on when Mell called for his attention.   
  
He was staring at Jeremy with such pleading eyes, the pale man genuinely could feel his chest get warm.  
  
"Man, I'm really, really sorry about tagging you along but I have a meeting in thirty and Brooke could help me out with the clothes shit but I'm going to need you to order me three Caramel Macchiatos, two black coffee, and one Earl Grey tea. All venti."   
  
The blonde lady was fixing up his collar when the tanned man had reached for his pocket, handing Jeremy his whole wallet.

  
  
His wallet.  


Jeremy wanted to die. This was some intense pressure.  
  
He went anyway, walking quickly to the nearest coffee shop from the tailor's place, and actually getting to attain all the orders in less than 15 minutes which was impressive to say, nonetheless.  
  
When he arrived at the store, Michael Mell looked all prepared, coat and tie and shit. His hair was slicked back, and Jeremy suddenly felt like dying again.   
  
When the boss had made eye contact with Jeremy and found the order complete, a huge grin was suddenly plastered on his face. 

A GRIN. ON MICHAEL MELL'S FACE.

Jeremy kept himself from groaning or fanning himself. This man might actually be the death of him.  


"Jeremy, my good man, you are the absolute best."  


Then all of a sudden, he was being pulled again by his boss, as he shouted a quick thanks to Brooke.

The two were back in the elevator in a blink, both panting a bit.  


Jeremy clicked on the 5th while Michael Mell clicked on the 21st where most meetings were. Jeremy had given him the wallet and the order of beverages.   
  
Michael Mell gave him an embarrassed look, but smiled, "You saved my life, Mr. Heere. I spilled the coffee on myself. Gosh, I owe you my deepest gratitude."

And that? 

That sounded all sorts of wrong to Jeremy. It was far too different from a while ago. He tried not to frown.

"N-No, it's okay, sir. Pleasure's all mine. It's cool being your assistant for about 30 minutes," Jeremy let out a soft chuckle, "Wh-Where is your assistant, s-sir?" 

 

There was a ding and the elevator door opened.  


_Oh.  
  
  
_

It was already on the fifth floor.  
  
Jeremy took a step out, not minding that Mell wasn't able to answer him. When the door was about to close, the pale man let himself wave goodbye at his boss to find his boss squinting at him. Harshly, he whispered a, "Chloe _IS_ my assistant," in a terrified tone, before the door closed completely.  
  
  
Jeremy couldn't stop laughing until he reached his desk. Even Jenna couldn't calm him down.  


* * *

 

  
  
It was a downward spiral after that. Jeremy, for some odd reason, kept bumping into the President. One time was in the supplies room when he found his boss looking for a specific box of paper clips ("You don't understand, Mr. Heere, I always use the green ones. I specifically order those along with the plain metal ones.")  Another was by the fifth floor's vending machine when he was about to buy himself a small bag of popcorn. Jeremy had found Mell holding two Snickers bars ("They ran out of these in the other two floors. I assure you they're not for me.") The tech worker let out a chuckle at that and if he ever saw Mell open up a bar as he walked away, his lips were sealed.  
  
Then it became a thing.  
  
They saw each other in elevators or Jeremy would always catch him by the entrance. "Mr. Heere" slowly shifted to "Heere" then to "Jeremy" and in very, very rare occasions, Michael would use "dude" or "man" comfortably in front of him, even in the office.  
  
They had small talks about the weather, the office gossips, mostly work. At times, Jeremy would talk about his new design and his boss would nod at him in understanding at every explanation. Sometimes though, Michael would end up talking about finances, office conflicts, contracts that needed to be renewed, all in a low, pissed, tired voice,  and Jeremy would merely nod as well. He also did his best not to try and pat him, leaving a safe distance.  
  
Jenna started teasing him about it and Jeremy usually just shrugged her off. He was going to admit that he may actually have a teeny, tiny crush on him though. When Jenna finally found out, she let out a loud laugh because, "Jeremy, no one just gets school girl kinda crushes when it comes to Mell. Everyone just kind of wanted to fuck him. Or be the Ana to his Christian Grey."  
  
Jenna got flicked on the forehead twice. Jeremy was sure she deserved it.

* * *

  
  
Jeremy was in the middle of typing out the new design Jenna had set up of him last night. His focus was disrupted though when heels clacking resounded through their office. He heard Jake Dillinger let out a, "Whoa, hey, Chlo-" before Jeremy found himself face to face with a very gorgeous, very terrifying woman. She was looking down at Jeremy, an eyebrow raised. Her arms were crossed, and her mouth was a thin line. Jeremy wasn't sure if she was mad or not. He couldn't really read her expression.  
  
Jeremy was sure he was terrified, though.  


"You're Jeremy Heere?"   


Jeremy nodded. He also wanted to cry and hide.   


She let out a hum, scanning him once more before walking out.  
  
Once she was out of sight, Jeremy let out his breath he hadn't noticed he was holding. Everyone in the room had their eyes on him and it got him really conscious so he did his best to just focus on his screen.   
  
Jenna tapped him a few seconds after, tilting her head in curiosity. Jeremy shook his head violently as though to say, "I don't fucking know."  
  
  
They went back to work.

* * *

 

   
  
Jeremy entered the café to find a familiar red hoodie on the same seat as last time. The corners of his lips started to tug up as the feeling of giddiness washed over his everything. He felt like such a teenager having his first crush.  
  
After ordering a White Chocolate Mocha and a slice of blueberry cheesecake, Jeremy made his way towards his boss.

"I-Is this seat taken?"

  
Jeremy felt his face get warm when the first response of Mell upon seeing him was a bright grin. Butterflies took over his stomach, and Jeremy felt his smile widen.   
  
_Gosh, this man_.  


"Nah, man. Go ahead."   


The pale man sat down, nodding as thanks. On the table, "Thank you, si-"  


"Michael, dude. We're not in work. Michael's all cool."  


The butterflies honestly felt as though they were becoming bats, Jeremy tried really hard not to squirm in delight.   
  
  
There were multiple papers scattered near his boss' side. Jeremy let himself ask.  


"Work?"   


Michael nodded. "It gets cramped in there. Too quiet. I usually need some white noise nowadays, ya know?" He signed one corner of the paper, rubbing his chin as he read through it, "If I stayed there, I'd probably go crazy."  
  
Jeremy nodded in understanding. That's how he was whenever he'd do an all-nighter, just typing non-stop. He played music by random just so there was something playing in the background. The silence usually got too overwhelming when you're left in it for too long.  
  
Jeremy took a sip from his mug and took a bite of his cake. He felt his eyes close and he had to force himself not to make any weird noises as he focused on the taste. His eyes snapped back open though when he heard a low chuckle.  
  
Michael was staring at him with fond eyes, making Jeremy's chest clench. He felt his face heat up which led him to cover it with one hand. He must have looked ridiculous.  
  
The boss shook his head, chuckling once more, "No, no, hey dude. I'm not making fun of you. You seem to like that a lot."  
  
Jeremy nodded slowly, taking his hand off his face once he swallowed.  
  
"I love blueberry cheesecake, man. It's the only thing I order besides the strawberry cheesecake."  
  
God, he sounded so weird. Was that okay? They usually talk about work and gossips, not personal stuff. Jeremy was freaking out a bit. He so did not want to creep his boss out. Why is it that when he's in this café, shit goes do—

  
  
"I'll keep that in mind."  


Jeremy blinked, "What?"  


Michael Mell lifted his head from his work, eyes wide, "N-Nothing. I love the carrot muffins here. S'the only thing I ever usually buy aside from black coffee." He let out a nervous laugh, "Carrots are rad."  
  
The lanky man watched as the man's face in front of him went through a series of expressions. It made Jeremy giggle when he settled for one where he honestly looked done with himself.  


"Carrots are rad."   


"Shut up, dude."  


"That's probably why y-you were shoving it whole—"  


_"Oh my God, Jeremy Heere, I have power over you_."  


Jeremy burst out into laughter at that. That was true and he should be scared but he said it in such an embarrassed way, he ended up sounding so, so lame.  
  
With one last snort, Jeremy let himself look back at the man who was looking at him with a soft smile. With a gulp, the pale man smiled, "Y-You talk different. It's nice hearing you that way, though. You sound more," he shrugged, hesitant, "Comfy? I've always wanted to point that out. Y-You don't have to explain or anything "  
  
To Jeremy's relief, Michael responded with a chuckle, "Yeah. It's. This is how I usually talk, man. S'just," he let go of his pen and turned his full attention to Jeremy, "My dad. Um, the OG Mr. Mell. He left a rep. The first few months of working here, I talked that way. No one took me seriously. Fucked me up real bad, honestly. Higher-ups gave me a shit time, dude. It was terrifying."

Jeremy frowned at that.

"So, well, my dad talked to me and said I'm really gonna need to be firm and shit. He's a nice man, y'know. Really soft. Not the asshole bullshit he gets titled with. Anyways, I kept that in mind, I followed everything he said and poof, here I am. Never changed since."   
  
Nodding in understanding, Jeremy watched as the other took a sip from his own mug. There was a few seconds of silence before Jeremy couldn't take it anymore, blurting out the first question that popped in his head just so Michael wouldn’t look sad anymore.

  
  
"Do you play videogames?"  


Michael Mell's eyes brightened at that.   


Jeremy decided this could be good.  


Great, even, by the state of his chest being drowned with gooey warmth.  


* * *

  


When Jeremy went to work the next day, he found a small box, designed with pretty intricate borders. Opening it, he found the prettiest slice of blueberry cheesecake he's ever seen. Jenna peeked at it, checking the logo on the box. She let out a choked, "holy shit."  
  
Jeremy turned to her, confused. He wasn't familiar with the logo.   


"Is it a good brand?"  


Jenna raised a brow at the box, "Jeremy, honey, that cake? Cha-ching." She did the 'Okay' sign, "So it better be."   
  
Jeremy smiled to himself, suddenly giddy. A distant memory of Michael Mell flashing through his head played. He knew false hope wasn't any good but fuck it, he's going to let himself hope.  


* * *

 

  
  
Jeremy entered the elevator with a White Chocolate Mocha. It was cold and he was holding the paper cup with both hands to warm himself. He felt a tickle on his nose before letting out a soft sneeze.

 

“Bless you.”

 

The lanky man almost threw his cup in surprise, turning abruptly towards the voice. Michael Mell was apparently on the elevator with him and he didn’t even notice. His cheeks burned at the sight of the taller man, grinning widely at him.

 

“Th-Thank you.” Jeremy couldn’t help but smile back.

 

There was a few seconds of silence before his boss spoke again, “Mocha?” Jeremy shook his head, “N-Not just any Mocha, the best kind. White Chocolate Mocha.”

 

A soft chuckle was the response and soon the elevator dinged. The fifth. Jeremy stepped out, nodding at the other man before the door completely closed.

 

 

The next day, there was a venti White Chocolate Mocha on his desk. He smiled.  


* * *

  
  
  
The gifts kept coming. Jeremy could feel his chest getting warmer and warmer at the thought. Jenna's been teasing him about it. Most of his co-workers as well, but they didn't know about Mell so they just went along with Jenna's "yo boi."  
  
He wasn't really sure if it was him though. But it worked too well. It started with the cheesecake, then with the drink, then the next few gifts were game-themed pastries. That was basically the summary of their latest conversation outside work.  
  
Whenever they'd see each other in the office though, Michael would usually flash a small smile before he'd go back to wearing the poker face he usually wore. He seemed busier nowadays though, considering the small talks didn't happen as much.  
  
Jeremy stared at the pastry on his table, poking at it. He grinned and let out a dreamy sigh. Michael Mell might actually be the death of him. He didn't even know how he was doing it. Was he going to work early? Did he pass by during breaks? He shook his head. He'll let himself be satisfied with this.  
  


* * *

 

 

Jeremy entered the café, ordered his usual then went straight to where he usually sat with Michael. No one was there at that time and the man did his best not to be too disappointed. In silence, he ate as he scrolled through his phone. In the middle of reading this one article about cats and their response to voice pitch when all of a sudden, the chair in front of him was pulled out and a tray was placed on the space in front of his own food.

 

Looking up, he found bright, brown eyes staring at him, curiously, “What’s up?”

 

Jeremy forced his chest to calm the fuck down at the sight of the other man and pulled up a smile, hoping it didn’t look too big or excited. He seriously needs to chill when he sees Michael but really, it’s all Michael’s fault anyway. Flaunting his _everything_.

 

 

“C-Cats respond to your voice pitch.”

 

 

Michael let out a soft laugh. Christ, help Jeremy.

 

 

“You’re weird, dude. But I like you just fine.”

 

 

And that? That made Jeremy’s heart soar, an even bigger grin taking over his face. He let out a giggle and felt his cheeks warm up, “You’re just as weird, man.”

 

Michael had taken a seat at that, shrugging at the other, “Didn’t say I wasn’t. You like me just fine too, though, right?” He wiggled his eyebrows to which the pale man rolled his eyes at. With that, everything clicked into place.

 

The two started talking and talking and by the end of both their breaks, they were both laughing. Jeremy’s cheeks were straining and he could hear Michael wheezing. Once the two had calmed down, their gazes locked and Jeremy couldn’t look away at all. He felt so light and happy, probably one of the best times of his life. Everything seemed brighter and Michael, gosh, Michael looked wonderful. Oh, so wonderful that Jeremy didn’t want to be anywhere else but where he was at that moment.

 

It was coffee filling his nose, white noise in the background. It was sugar on his tongue and watching Michael Mell’s dopey smile directed at him. It was a simple afternoon but it was perfect.

 

Jeremy held onto the feeling until it ended.

 

 

* * *

 

   
Everything was going smoothly until one day, Jeremy found Jake Dillinger placing a pouch of cookies on his desk. He and Jenna were coming back from their break when Jenna let out an exaggerated gasp.  


"Jake Dillinger?!"   


Jake quickly turned to look at the doorway where they were standing. Jeremy heard him let out an, "oh shit" before raising both his hands up.  


"Nothing to see here!"

 

 

Jenna rolled her eyes at the guy, walking closer and grabbing the pouch from Jeremy’s desk. She squinted at it then quickly turned to Jake once more, eyes now widened.

 

 

“You?! You’ve been giving these to Jeremy???”

 

 

Jeremy watched the scene before him happen. He tried to ignore the tinge of disappointment at the thought that it was actually Jake Dillinger giving all these stuff. Gosh, now he sounded ungrateful. Jake’s a pretty cool guy. Jeremy should be more than grateful and flattered that someone like that would actually like him.

 

Michael Mell’s face suddenly flashed through his head, making his chest clench. He shook his head and walked closer to where Jake and Jenna were making a ruckus.

 

 

“Yo, I swear it’s not me!!!”

 

 

“Wow, really? You honestly think I’d believe that? We caught you red-handed!”

 

 

Jake shook his head violently, rubbing his face with both hands. He honestly looked done and was red all over, Jeremy felt really bad about it. With that, he tugged Jenna away, shaking his head at her, “Hey, c’mon. Stop it, Jen”

 

Jenna turned to face the lanky adult with a devious smile, “But Jeremy! We found your secret admirer. And he’s here denying all that shit when we actually just saw him place it.”

 

Jeremy shook his head again, pulling her away. He could hear whispers now and he really did not need that right now. He did not like that kind of attention on him, “Come on. Let’s not force it, please?”

 

The lady let out a sigh as she took in the expression on his face. She knew all too well how Jeremy felt in these kinds of situations. Small jokes and laughing were okay but now, it seemed as though everyone’s eyes were on them, suspicious. With a pout, she placed the cookies back on his desk.

 

The floor was suddenly quiet.

 

Jake looked as though he was constipated and Jeremy really wanted to apologize. For all he knew, Jenna may have embarrassed him in front of everyone, considering they did catch him placing the pouch.

 

Jeremy was about to approach him and apologize when the man suddenly turned his head towards the doorway, eyes brightening. With a loud, “Oh man, thank God you’re here!” he ran towards the person he saw and—

 

Jeremy’s chest did a flippity-flop.

 

Michael Mell stood by the doorway.

 

_Michael Mell._

 

“Dude, okay. You really have to back me up about this, man. Rich is just a few floors up and rumors spread like wildfire here. Just tell them. I am a faithful man, Mell.”

 

 

Jeremy’s eyes widened.

 

 

He honestly wanted to cry at how dramatic everything seemed. Everyone’s eyes were on them but no one was speaking. He could hear the tick of the wall clock and the sudden gurgle of the water dispenser that was at the corner of the room. The air conditioning unit’s engine was the loudest he’s ever heard it. Jeremy didn’t mind though.

 

His chest was all sorts of warm. He could feel his heartbeat slowly quicken at the implication Jake made. He bit his lip and let himself hope. He lifted his head and looked straight at Michael Mell whose face looked surprise as he stared at Jake Dillinger. Jenna, beside him, let out a soft, “holy shit.”

 

Slowly, Michael turned his gaze towards him. Unblinking, Jeremy saw him swallow. His eyes were so wide and bright. His cheeks were tinged pink. His back wasn’t all that straight.

 

_Oh my god._

 

 

His mask was off.

 

_Oh my god._

 

 

His mask was off and Jeremy was going to die. He was sure he was because his chest could burst out any minute now.

 

_Oh my god._

 

 

Michael cleared his throat and Jeremy was sure his lip was about to bleed considering how hard he was biting it. He saw him look around quick then like magnet, his gaze was stuck on Jeremy again and—

 

 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

 

 

And would you look at that, the clock seemed to have stopped ticking. The dispenser probably stopped doing the gurgling thing. The air conditioning unit also doesn’t sound like anything anymore. Maybe even everyone in the office stopped breathing.

 

 

Jeremy?

 

 

Jeremy wasn’t sure if it was just him but he couldn’t hear anything. The ringing in his ears just felt as though it got louder and louder. His breathing was slow.

 

His chest, though. His chest felt unbearable. He felt as though his everything was doused with ice water but his heart was burning. Burning really fucking intensely, he genuinely wanted to claw at it.

He blinked away tears that were starting to form and he let himself look one last time at Michael Mell who was staring at him, eyes wiped out from all vulnerability that it had shown a while ago. It was empty. Jeremy couldn’t read it. With that, he tore his gaze from the president and took a deep breath.

 

In a few seconds, all he felt was numb and that was better that way.

 

He found himself talking but even his own voice sounded foreign to his ears.

 

“Apologies, Mr. Mell. There may have been a mistake. I-It was just some running joke, I guess. We’ll be off to work then.”

 

With a curt nod, he felt his legs start walking towards the doorway and walking past Michael Mell.

 

As he was a few seconds away from the doorway, Jenna followed him. He felt her start walking with him towards the elevator, her shoulder pressed warmly against his. It was comforting so Jeremy let her continue doing such.

 

Once both were in the elevator, the two stared at the buttons. Jenna raised a brow, “So, where are we going?”

 

Jeremy blinked to himself before letting out a quiet giggle.

 

“I-I forgot that was our office.”

 

There was a few seconds of silence before the two burst into full blown laughter.

 

-

 

Jenna Rolan was the ultimate best friend Jeremy Heere could ever have.

 

She cuddled him as he sniffled through his tissue.

 

“I-I don’t even know why I’m so affected. W-We aren’t even friends.”

‘

Jenna patted his cheek, letting out a tut, “Hon, if he talked to you that way, surely you were a friend. I mean, he smiles at you. Mell doesn’t smile at anyone.”

 

Jeremy pouted at that, “He was a cool friend. What if we really were just friends? What if he was saying the truth? Maybe he really didn’t know about the gifts.”

 

His friend sends him a pitiful look, “Honey, I’m pretty sure I’m the only other one who knows your favourite drink. I’m also pretty sure _I_ didn’t give that.”

 

Jeremy just felt even worse. Michael Mell was the only possible person to know all the shit to give Jeremy. Jeremy only had a few friends and he was sure he never told them his preference for blueberry cheesecakes. They were just work friends, ja feel?

Biting his lip, he turned to Jenna with glassy eyes. With a quiet voice, he let himself ask, “D-Do you think he’s like, embarrassed of me? He probably didn’t want anyone to know he was the one giving me all the shit because I mean, what the fuck am I compared to him, right?”

The brunette leaned closer to the man who seems a lot smaller with how he was curled up in a ball. She shook her head, “I don’t know Mell, Jere. I can’t really say shit but I was there and he looked shocked. I never knew I’d get the chance to see that.”

 

Jeremy hummed at that.

 

“But you know what, Jere?  The only time I got to see some emotion in that man’s eyes was when he was staring at you,” the lady pulled the other closer, “Then for a few seconds, he looked around  then it was gone and he just pulled that shit out of his mouth.”

 

The man kept himself quiet, trying not to think too much into what Jenna said.

 

“Also, he seemed scared.” At that, Jeremy sent her a confused look, “What do you mean?”

 

“When you walked away, he was staring at everyone in the office with this poker face.”

 

Jeremy let out a huff, “Okay, what, you’re psychic now?”

 

“No, bitch. He was frozen and his hands were clenched tightly. I heard Jake had to pull him out of the floor or else he probably wouldn’t have moved at all.”

 

Another huff was the man’s response, to which Jenna rolled her eyes at, “I’m just saying, dude. Think about it.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

That night, he did think about it.

 

He thought of how he changed his voice, his speaking, his stance. He thought of how differently he talked in the café compared to when he was at work. He thought of the way he said “dude” and “man” like it was part of his permanent vocabulary but it worked really well, God help him.

 

He thought about his laugh. He laughed with his whole body and face. His eyes would crinkle at the sides and it also looked as though his cheeks were straining when he did. He thought about his smile. Michael Mell had such a nice smile, every part of Jeremy had to hold itself back. If not, he probably won’t be able to keep himself from kissing it off him. Then he thought about how sad he looked as he stared into his coffee but still managing to force up a grin after and—

 

 

_“Fucked me up real bad, man.”_

_“It was terrifying.”_

_“Haven’t changed since.”_

 

 

Jeremy’s eyes widened.

 

 

He _was_ terrified.

 

 

A pang of guilt filled his chest at the realization. He broke his mask in front of everyone to which he’s been wearing for years, and froze. He was left there on the spot to admit possible shit he’s been hiding and even Jeremy knew that was too intense of a pressure to be placed on someone. Michael Mell, especially.

 

Now, Jeremy just felt awful, he wanted to cry again.

 

He quickly dialed his mobile, letting out a groan at the first “hello” he heard.

 

“Jeremy?! Jeremy, it’s 4:30 AM. I was supposed to be up in like, 30 minutes. Thanks a lot for that, _Jesus_.”

 

He shook all that out, running his mouth, “He was scared, I think”

 

 

“Boom!”

 

 

“ _Jenna._ ”

 

 

“Okay, okay, sorry.”

 

 

Rubbing at his face, he lied back down, “I-I have to apologize. He didn’t deserve that shit? H-He’s been hiding and wearing the whole boss face for so long, he got caught off guard. Maybe? I mean, i-it looks like it.”

There was a hum, “But, he did sort of embarrass you in front of everyone. Aren’t you, like, the slightest bit offended at that?”

Jeremy raised his brow at that, “Y-You know, you confuse me. You made me realize what I did wrong to Michael and now, you’re making me realize what he did wrong to me. Like, whose side are you on?”

There was a soft yawn on the other line, “I’m just saying. You do you, you know? I just want you seeing all sides, I guess. But I’m definitely on your side, by the way. That Mell kid’s dead if he hurts you again, just an FYI.”

The man giggled at that, “Okay, okay. Seeing both ends i-is pretty cool. I think I was hurt more that he lied that he didn’t do it than like, the whole embarrassing me in front of everyone thing,” he shrugged to himself.  “Actually, now that I think of it, all three of us embarrassed Jake Dillinger the most so I’m pretty sure we have to apologize for that too.”

 

Cackles filled Jeremy’s ears, “Oh nah, it’s cool. He doesn’t care about people too. He was just scared his beloved Richard Goranski to find out.”

 

“Richard Goranski?”

  

“Yeah, his boyfriend. He works in the advertising department.”

 

“I see.”

 

There were a few seconds of silence before Jeremy spoke up again, “Jenna, how do you know so much shit?”

 

“Jeremy, honey. I know everything.”

 

There was a pause.

 

“You’re going to apologize to him later, aren’t you?”

 

Jeremy let out a shaky laugh, “You _do_ know everything.”

 

* * *

 

Jeremy couldn’t sleep at all after that. He took a cold shower, wore his work clothes and walked his way to the office. The sun hasn’t risen yet but it was okay.

 

He thought about Michael through his walk.

 

He thought about his smile and his chest warmed. He thought about his voice, pulling a smile into his face. He thought about the stupid Snickers bars and the stupid paperclips. He thought about the café. He thought about his messed up hair and his red hoodie. He thought about the papers scattered on their table and the white coffee mug at the side of it. He thought about carrot muffins.

  

Jeremy blinked to himself.

 

He ran straight to the café.

 

He ordered the first dozen, even asking if they could make frosting letters per letter. He had to pay extra for that because they had to make the frosting quickly. He genuinely forgot the sun still wasn’t up and he felt bad for the sleepy-looking baker behind the wall, only seen through the little square hole.

 When the clock struck 6, everything was set. Work hours started at 7 and surely no one was there yet. When he entered, it was still too dark but bless all the gods, the elevator was on. The guards and janitors were opening up the building, turning on the lights and unlocking the glass doors.

Jeremy made his way towards the elevator and clicked on the 31st, where the president’s office was. Once the machine dinged and the doors opened, he found himself face to face with an empty counter and the lights off. It wasn’t too dark though, considering the sun was rising. The place was just slightly lit.

He slowly walked his way towards the counter and left the box of muffins on top of that. There was a fancy-looking couch which he assumed was where people would sit while waiting and he did just that.

He had no idea how things were going to go. He didn’t have a concrete plan. He kept wiping his palms on his pants, considering they sweat profusely when he was nervous. What if he comes face to face with Michael in a few minutes? What the fuck would he say? What the fuck did he even want?

Grumbling to himself, he rubbed his face in frustration. He was utterly fucked, wasn’t he? If he didn’t make too much of a fool of himself yesterday, he was definitely going make a complete fool of himself today.

Again, he still had time to run. He could forget this ever happened. The two of them can definitely just go back to being secret or even nothing at all. He never wants to put Michael in a place where he had to drop everything he’s built just for himself. He never wants to embarrass him again. Most of all, he doesn’t want him scared.

If breaking shit off, whatever this shit was, would help in doing so, then Jeremy was more than fine with that.

 

He felt as though he could do anything for Michael Mell.

 

He would do anything for his stupid nice face and his stupid pretty eyes. He would do anything for his dumb-as-fuck laugh and his soft, messy hair. He could drop everything just for the sake that he’s okay.

Jeremy’s chest was going haywire, his whole body was warm. He could feel tears forming on the brim of his eyes and he let himself sob.

 

Gosh.

 

What a pleasant time to realize just how much he liked someone.

 

Just fucking fantastic, really.

 

He was in the middle of wiping his face with his sleeve (which had gotten really wet, _gross_ ) when the elevator dinged, revealing the scary, tall woman who had approached Jeremy before in his desk.

She actually looked surprised to see him, sitting on the couch. Jeremy must look really pathetic with how her surprised look melted to one that oozed out pity. The lanky man slouched further into his seat, avoiding eye contact.

 

“You’re here for Michael, aren’t you?”

 

Jeremy nodded.

 

She sat beside him, “Michael Mell’s a dumbass.” 

_What?_

 

Jeremy turned to look at her, startled. She chuckled softly at his expression. Shaking her head, she crossed her legs and looked straight into Jeremy’s eyes, “And you didn’t deserve getting embarrassed in front of everyone yesterday. I’m not defending him when I say this but he’s been through a shit ton. He’s a workaholic who does everything to reach this company’s expectation of him, and he’s worked like that for years.”

 She sighed, “And one day, he comes in saying he’s met someone and the first time in years, he’s let himself take a break more often than he usually does.”

 Then she sighed even deeper, “Which makes him even more of a dumbass because that little shit then fucking panics whenever he’s come face to face with shit like feelings and such. If it helps, I’ve already scolded him big time for what he did to you. It was uncalled for.”

Jeremy shook his head at that, eyes wide, “N-No way! I placed him in that position. He was left on the spot to admit in front of everyone and it’s screwed how I actually expected that he’d admit it. It was unfair to him. He’s never broken character in front of workers and I feel like I forced it. I-I don’t ever want to do that again. I-If he never wants to see me again, I’d understand, y’know? Might hurt but if it makes him okay then I’m okay. It’s, just. He’s Michael Mell and I feel like I could do anything for Michael Mell.”

The lanky man couldn’t believe he was able to pour all that out to a complete stranger. Christ, she might think he’s some next level creeper. Okay, new rule. Jeremy, after today, will never go back up to the 31st forever again. Never, ever, ever again.

 

It was quiet for a few seconds before the lady beside him groaned, “Jesus, you two are just as bad as each other.”

 

With an exhale, she shook her head again, pulling her phone out, “I know where he comes from so I understand why he acted that way so a part of me’s still pretty soft on him. He’s got an explanation for it, that’s for sure, but it’s not my shit to tell. So, you two better talk.” The man blinked at that.

 

She hummed, “You know how he is behind the whole boss shit, right?”

 

Jeremy nodded.

 

“When he sees you, I’m sure he’s going to act all Mr. Boss again but just don’t fall for it,” she suddenly pinched the bridge of her nose after she typed out a few things on her phone, “And just push for whatever you’re going to say.”

 

Jeremy nodded once more. He honestly felt as though he should be taking down notes.

 

It was quiet again. She was typing and typing until suddenly, her phone let out a “ping!” She smiled at her phone, then faced Jeremy.

 

“You seem like a nice guy, Jeremy Heere. As much as you may think I trust you with Michael, I have enough power to fuck you up if you hurt him.”

 

All of a sudden, she pulled a pen out of her handbag, then pulled at Jeremy’s arm. She started scribbling something on it and the man did his best not to squirm at the feel of the ballpoint tip on his skin. Once she finished, she gave the writing a pat.

Written on his forearm was an address. Jeremy blinked.

 

“Th-This is the café a few blocks from here. I just came from there.” He gestured at the box that was on the counter to prove it. The lady tilted her head in curiosity, “Oh. Well, that becomes easier on your end then. What’s inside the box?”

 

Jeremy swallowed, scratching the back of his neck. Oh crap, now it’s going to sound really weird to say it out loud but fuck it, “A-Apology muffins.”

 

“Muffins?”

 

“Y-Yeah, carrot muffins. He said that…”

 

“He said what?”

 

“Carrots are rad.”

 

Cackling. She started cackling really, really loudly. Jeremy could’ve sworn there were tears in her eyes. Once she’s calmed down, she faced Jeremy with a wide grin, “You just dropped major black mail material. I think I’m going to like you a lot, Jeremy Heere.”

This made Jeremy smile shyly, “Y-You’re really nice too. I mean, you’re terrifying but nice,” He then extended his arm, “Thank you for all this and it’s really nice to meet you.”

 

She gave his hand a firm shake, “Chloe Valentine.”

 

Jeremy may or may have not gasped at that, “Y-You’re Chloe?”

She nodded but was stilling smiling, “Michael Mell’s assistant and best friend. You fuck this up, you’re dead, Heere.”

 

A shiver ran up the man’s spine but he shook it out.

 

“Now, go get your boy. He always passes by the café around this time to get his coffee. Sometimes, he gets a muffin before going straight to work so hey, I’m pretty sure he’s going to be happy with the box.”

 At that, Jeremy stood up, got the box, and went straight to the elevator. He quickly pushed at the down button and while waiting, Chloe had apparently walked his way. She tilted her head towards the box so as to ask if she could peek and Jeremy responded with a nod.

 She pulled the lid off slightly then suddenly started laughing, “ _Oh my god._ ”

 

Jeremy pouted at her, “It was too long, okay?”

 

She shook her head, “No, no. This is perfect. Go get him, tiger,” then the elevator dinged.

 

Jeremy entered and once the door closed, he took a peek at the muffins as well. He let out a soft huff at how it looked as well.

 

_I M R L Y S O R R Y : (_

* * *

As said, Michael was in the café. Jeremy had caught him just as he had exited through the door.

 

The taller man was caught off guard, based on how his eyes had widened in surprise but soon enough, like Chloe had said, it was back to being empty in a few seconds span. Jeremy was determined though. When he noticed that Mell had no means of greeting him or stopping at all, he walked nearer and tugged his sleeve with one hand, as the other struggled to keep the box of muffins okay.

 

That halted the other man’s tracks, thank God, but it wasn’t all the easy.

 

 

“Mr. Heere, if you would kindly remove your hold from my sleeve—“

 

“No!”

 

 

Okay, he ran his mouth without thinking.

Jeremy was sure he was going to get fired after this but he sucked it all up.

 

 

“Mr. Heere.”

 

“Not until you listen to what I say.”

 

 

Oh, he was _definitely_ going to get fired but fuck it.

That helped shut the boss up, considering how he had turned to face Jeremy, eyes still blank.

 

The two were on the sidewalk. It was quiet and there were a few bystanders passing by but Jeremy couldn’t let himself care one bit. Michael Mell was now right in front of him but he wasn’t the Michael he knew. It was the Michael everyone else knew and Jeremy despised it. It hurt too badly.

He felt selfish thinking that way but he couldn’t help it. Michael Mell had dug himself deep into his chest, made a place for himself there and there was no turning back.

 

And he missed that Michael.

 

The one that made him laugh, the one that had his chest soaring. The one that had his cheeks straining and the one that had him enjoy his coffee and pastry even more so just with his presence. The one who sat comfortably in his hoodie, the one who smiled at him warmly.

 

God, he wanted to see Michael so much, his chest ached.

 

The man in front of him was staring at him with such dull-looking eyes, he honestly wanted to cry. With a sniff, he sucked it up again.

 

“Michael.”

 

Jeremy could feel his hand shaking when he saw the man in front of him suddenly flinch at the mention of his name. He thanked all the possible gods that the tanned man didn’t go and run away, as he thought.

“Y-Yesterday, you said you had no idea about th-the shit and at first, it really hurt,” Jeremy’s hold on the sleeve had gotten tighter. He saw Michael’s face break as he looked away, eyebrows creasing.

“And just, I have no idea what I am to you. I could just be some dumb co-worker you talk to during breaks or just some charity case you like giving gifts to. Oh gosh, I’m not even sure if you’re the one giving them but I hoped it was.” Jeremy wanted to scream in frustration. His mind was all sorts of jumbled and gosh, why wasn’t he blessed with the gift of poetry? Why were words so hard to form?

“I might just be some guy you save a seat for in some dumb café,” Jeremy’s everything was burning, his grip getting tighter and tighter, “O-Or some guy who saves you seats in cafés— God, I don’t know.”

 

With a shaky breath, he locked his eyes with the other, “But to me, th-that isn’t the case at all. Y-Y-You—“ He took another breath, “You’ve dug such a huge fucking hole i-in my chest, man, and you’ve made me so happy.”

 

This wasn’t the time for crying, Heere, keep those tears in and just let it out. This isn’t some romantic comedy, man, get it together.

 

“You mean so much to me. I’ve only met you, what, a few weeks ago? And just, you’re always in my head a-and I get so excited when I see you. I-I’ve learned to love that café and when I look at the vending machine, I think about the Snickers bar you snuck. I think of supplies, I think of your clips. I hear Mell and all I can see is your smile and your laugh and you shoving a stupid muffin in your mouth.”

 Jeremy took a deep breath. He hadn’t noticed he wasn’t breathing anymore. He was sure his whole face was red and his everything was shaking. He was also really sure his eyes were glassy considering he’s been trying to blink the tears away. His chest was beating rapidly. Everything was so fucking overwhelming.

 

Michael Mell, who was standing in front of him, was now staring at him with wide eyes. His jaw was dropped slightly and he was frozen. Jeremy took that as a cue to continue.

 

“I think I like you a lot. And you have no idea how sorry I am for putting you in that spot wh-where you had to admit shit about u-us. I just, i-it was, I hoped, okay? I like you and I wanted it to be you. I just, I didn’t even th-think about your big boss image and—“

 

“Holy shit.”

 

Jeremy blinked at that, “Wh-What?”

 

“Y-Y-You,” Michael Mell’s face was all red and he was looking at Jeremy with disbelief. He started doing these hand gestures and really, Jeremy wished he understood it but really, he didn’t. So again, he let himself say, “What?”

 

 

“Wh-Why the fuck are you sorry???”

 

 

At that, the pale man genuinely didn’t know what was happening anymore.

 

Michael, who was a few steps away from him, suddenly moved closer. In surprise, Jeremy had let go of his sleeve and almost dropped the box of muffins.

 

“Y-You’re apologizing when I was the huge dick,” Michael shook his head, looking as though he was having a hard time swallowing everything down, “Holy shit. Y-You like me. I was a dick to you and you _like_ me?”

 

Okay, what was happening? Why was he saying it like it was such a bad thing? Can Jeremy cry now because he felt as though he just embarrassed himself. He opened his mouth to answer but no words came out. There must have been something up with his face because Michael’s expression suddenly melted from being shocked to concerned.

 

“Oh, dude, no, no, no,”  the taller man leaned in closer in panic, placing both hands on Jeremy’s cheeks and stroking his thumb at it, as though to calm him down. It did not, by the way. His brain short-circuited with how close Michael was. So, so close.

 

“I didn’t mean it that way, dude. I-“ Jeremy could feel his breath, ragged. He could see how bright his brown eyes were. He could smell his cologne and the hint of coffee. The pale man blinked to himself, waiting for the next thing that’ll come out of this beautiful man’s mouth. Oh, his _mouth—_ JEREMY, NO.

 

“How can you still like me?” It was a whisper but Jeremy could feel the confusion in it, as well as the frustration, “I embarrassed you in front of everyone. I denied it. And you’re right here. Telling me you like me.”

 

Michael suddenly realized his hold on Jeremy, quickly pulling back. His shoulders were tense and his arms now hung awkwardly on his sides.

 

 

“I should be the one apologizing to you.”

  

The boss took a gulp.

 

“I-I was scared and everyone was staring. All I could think of was how they’ll see me as a fucking boss, man, I didn’t know what to do I—“ he let out a groan, messing up his hair as he helplessly blinked at Jeremy, “I left you all sorts of gifts. I went to the café and waited for you by the elevator when I can. I went to your floor, holy shit, and I just left you—“

 

All of a sudden, he let out another loud groan, “Dude, what the fuck? Why’re you still here? Why’re you the one apologizing?” He then clutched at his chest, “Also, my chest is going crazy, am I having a heart attack?” This was Mell talking. The man who could move leaders and company owners to his accord through words and presentations, was now rambling.

Slowly, Jeremy found the other man’s legs slowly giving out, and soon enough, he was just seated on the sidewalk, one hand still clutched at his chest, the other gripping at his hair. It was a sight, if Jeremy were being honest. Michael Mell, the president of the biggest company in the area, coat and tie combo complete, was on the floor, staring at Jeremy, like he couldn’t figure him out.

 

Jeremy followed after, kneeling in front of the man, placing the box beside him.

 

Michael was gripping at his hair really tightly so Jeremy carefully took that hand into his, pulling it away. He was going to tell him that it was okay. That he understood. When Michael spoke up again.

“I’ve never felt this way before, man. It’s fucking me up but it’s also the best goddamn thing I’ve felt in years. I-I don’t know how to act with this. Y-You can go away and leave if you want.” Now, it was Jeremy’s turn to look at him in disbelief. He wanted to shout at him, reminding him that he literally just confessed to him but he held himself back.

 

At that, he let his body move to his own accord, leaning in.

 

The first thing Jeremy noticed was that both their lips were cold, but it was soft. The next thing was that Mell had frozen then soon enough; let his hands rest on Jeremy’s arm, gripping lightly. The last was that he felt Michael lean in, kissing back.

 

 

And it was quiet.

 

 

Then it was warm.

 

 

And it was perfect.

 

 

A car honking had startled the two, making them pull away abruptly. Jeremy had panicked slightly, looking around to find a few bystanders watching. He felt his cheeks burn at that and it only got warmer when he processed what he had just done.

 

He slowly turned his head to face Michael again, expecting a shocked expression but was met with a dopey smile.

 

His chest soared at the sight, all the stress melting into gooey giddiness.

 

If this were a movie, some happy romantic theme song may have started playing at this moment but in reality, more car honking resounded. Jeremy decided it was good enough.

 

Michael, with bright brown eyes, sides crinkling, had leaned close again, pecking Jeremy’s lips. Then again, and again, until Jeremy was left breathlessly giggling. Michael joined along in a few then soon enough, the two were laughing out loud. Once they caught their breaths, Michael pulled Jeremy closer, whispering.

 

“S-So. How do we escape this? Everyone’s looking.”

 

Jeremy chose not to look around and focused his gaze on Michael. He shrugged, biting the inside of his cheek as he thought of what they could do. In the middle of the thought process, Michael had caught sight of the box, pulling it close and removing the lid.

 

He let out a surprised laugh at the sight, facing Jeremy with one brow raised.

 

 

“Are these—“

 

“C-Carrot muffins, yeah.”

 

“You remembered I-I like them?”

 

Jeremy nodded, grinning cheekily, “H-How could I forget, dude? You said they were rad.”

 

“ _Motherfucker._ ”

 

* * *

 

 

 

The two had ran back to the office.

 

 

They were met with Chloe, a brow raised but a smirk plastered on her face.

 

 

Jeremy watched as Michael rolled his eyes at her, flipping her the bird, to which she returned with the same gesture.

 

 

With that, Jeremy decided this could be good.  


Great, even, by the state of his chest being drowned with gooey, intoxicating warmth.

**Author's Note:**

> based off a tumblr prompt: "Hello I’m your boss and you’re the new employee who just saw me shove an entire cupcake into my mouth." but w a shit ton of changes. it was supposedly short but wow look at that
> 
> http://toxixpumpkin.tumblr.com/post/101021230029/awkward-first-meetings-aus
> 
> EXTRA EXTRA NOTES Y'ALL THERE'S FANART MADE BY AO3 USER rice_bubbles
> 
> https://www.instagram.com/p/BglRZMSlKkS/
> 
> MY GOD it's the cutest thing asdfdkjkdfgjdfldflkgjs give it some lovin i s2g


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